Last Tuesday, I started my own little weekly frugal post based on crafting. I made a card from “free paper” I received! Re-using is the way to go in frugal crafting. Read about how I did it here.
This week for craft tip Tuesday, I wanted to show you a very frugal way to add texture and dimension to paper with out having to spend a lot of extra money on a distressing kit.The distressed, antique-ish look is so popular and one of my favorite looks right now in paper crafting. If you do it right, it’s cheap! In fact, I’m going to show you how to have a great distressing kit for just $2.35!
A distressing kit from Making Memories costs as much as $29.99! Way too much for making something look older right? Here’s what I do.
I buy a package of emery boards from the Dollar Tree. (Read about how much I love the Dollar Tree here.) I got 20 boards in a pack and they come in different sizes and grits. I break them in half if they are too long and use them like I would sand paper to gently rub away the color on the paper. This technique only works if the base of your paper is white, which most are these days.
I place the piece of paper I am distressing on a hard surface of some sort. I use my mat. Be sure that the surface you use is one that you don’t care about because the emery board will scratch it up.
I rub slowly as to not catch and rip the paper.
Here’s the end result!
You can really see how I used it here in this card I made.
Sometimes I like to add a little ink to give an even richer antique look. I bought a bronze ink pad at my local craft store for $1.35 and it’s still going strong! Just a little around the edges where you sanded with the emery boards goes a long way. The reason I think bronze works is because it has that metallic/rustic tone to it that gives ultimate impact for the least amount of application.
There you have it! A distressing kit for just $2.35!
Check out the great frugal craft idea here at SimpleMom.net! She shows you how to make a lovely inspiration board the frugal way.
Got a great frugal craft idea? Leave it for us in the comment section!
1 Comment
September 9, 2008 at 3:38 am
[...] I used a nail file to rough up the edges of the photo. (Get details on how I do this HERE.) [...]